Adjacent Words

Entertain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENTERTA'IN, v.t. [L. tenco.]
1. To receive into the house and treat with hospitality, either at the table only, or with lodging also.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13.
2. To treat with conversation; to amuse or instruct by discourse; properly, to engage the attention and retain the company of one, by agreeable conversation, discourse or argument. The advocate entertained his audience an hour, with sound argument and brilliant displays of eloquence.
3. To keep in one's service; to maintain. He entertained ten domestics.
You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred.
[This original and French sense is obsolete or little used.]
4. To keep, hold or maintain in the mind with favor; to reserve in the mind; to harbor; to cherish. Let us entertain the most exalted views of the Divine character. It is our duty to entertain charitable sentiments towards our fellow men.
5. To maintain; to support; as, to entertain a hospital.
6. To please; to amuse; to divert. David entertained himself with the meditation of God's law. Idle men entertain themselves with trifles.
7. To treat; to supply with provisions and liquors, or with provisions and lodging, for reward. The innkeeper entertains a great deal of company.
ENTERTA'IN, n. Entertainment. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: provide entertainment for
2: take into consideration, have in view; "He entertained the notion of moving to South America" [syn: entertain, think of, toy with, flirt with, think about]
3: maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment" [syn: harbor, harbour, hold, entertain, nurse]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English entertinen, from Middle French entretenir, from entre- inter- + tenir to hold — more at tenable Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. a. archaic maintain b. obsolete receive 2. to show hospitality to <entertain guests> 3. a. to keep, hold, or maintain in the mind <I entertain grave doubts about her sincerity> b. to receive and take into consideration <refused to entertain our plea> 4. to provide entertainment for <entertained with songs and stories> 5. to play against (an opposing team) on one's home field or court intransitive verb to provide entertainment especially for guests Synonyms: see amuse • entertainer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 amuse; occupy agreeably. 2 a receive or treat as a guest. b (absol.) receive guests (they entertain a great deal). 3 give attention or consideration to (an idea, feeling, or proposal). Etymology: ME f. F entretenir ult. f. L tenere hold

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Entertain En`ter*tain", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Entertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Entertaining.] [F. entretenir; entre between (L. inter) + tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Tenable.] 1. To be at the charges of; to take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbor; to keep.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Entertain En`ter*tain", v. i. To receive, or provide entertainment for, guests; as, he entertains generously.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Entertain En`ter*tain", n. [Cf. F. entretien, fr. entretenir.] Entertainment. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(entertains, entertaining, entertained) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If a performer, performance, or activity entertains you, it amuses you, interests you, or gives you pleasure. They were entertained by top singers, dancers and celebrities... Children's television not only entertains but also teaches. VERB: V n, V • entertaining To generate new money the sport needs to be more entertaining... This is a surprisingly entertaining film... ADJ 2. If you entertain people, you provide food and drink for them, for example when you have invited them to your house. I don't like to entertain guests anymore... The Monroes continued to entertain extravagantly. VERB: V n, V • entertaining ...a cosy area for entertaining and relaxing. N-UNCOUNT 3. If you entertain an idea or suggestion, you allow yourself to consider it as possible or as worth thinking about seriously. (FORMAL) I feel how foolish I am to entertain doubts... I wouldn't entertain the idea of such an unsociable job. VERB: V n, V n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Entertainments, "feasts," were sometimes connected with a public festival (Deut. 16:11, 14), and accompanied by offerings (1 Sam. 9:13), in token of alliances (Gen. 26:30); sometimes in connection with domestic or social events, as at the weaning of children (Gen. 21:8), at weddings (Gen. 29:22; John 2:1), on birth-days (Matt. 14:6), at the time of sheep-shearing (2 Sam. 13:23), and of vintage (Judg. 9:27), and at funerals (2 Sam. 3:35; Jer. 16:7).

The guests were invited by servants (Prov. 9:3; Matt. 22:3), who assigned them their respective places (1 Sam. 9:22; Luke 14:8; Mark 12:39). Like portions were sent by the master to each guest (1 Sam. 1:4; 2 Sam. 6:19), except when special honour was intended, when the portion was increased (Gen. 43:34).

The Israelites were forbidden to attend heathenish sacrificial entertainments (Ex. 34:15), because these were in honour of false gods, and because at such feast they would be liable to partake of unclean flesh (1 Cor. 10:28).

In the entertainments common in apostolic times among the Gentiles were frequent "revellings," against which Christians were warned (Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; 1 Pet. 4:3). (See BANQUET.)

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Lodge, treat hospitably, show hospitality to, receive as a guest. 2. Hold, cherish, harbor. 3. Take into consideration, consider. 4. Divert, amuse, please.

Moby Thesaurus

accommodate, admit, allow, amuse, amusement, bear, beguile, bestow, billet, board, bosom, cater to, cherish, cling to, clip, consider, contemplate, convulse, cultivate, delight, disport, dissipation, distraction, diversion, divert, divertissement, do the honors, domicile, embosom, embrace, enjoyment, enliven, entertain guests, entertainment, exhilarate, feed, fondle, foster, fracture one, gaiety, give a party, gladden, gratify, guest, harbor, have, have and hold, hold, hold on to, host, house, hug, inquire into, invite, keep, kill, knock dead, lodge, loosen up, maintain, nourish, nurse, nurture, occupy, play, please, pleasure, preside, put up, quarter, raise a laugh, raise a smile, receive, recreate, recreation, refresh, regale, rejoice, relax, relaxation, relief, room, see about, slay, sleep upon, solace, sport, support, sustain, take under advisement, take under consideration, think it over, throw a party, tickle, titillate, tolerate, treasure, treasure up, treat, wow